Life Adventures of Pineapple Sam
Hawaiian Pineapple Jarhead
Written by Pineapple Sam
Edited by Michele Casteel
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © 2011 Pineapple Sam
All Rights Reserved
Dedicated to my fellow listeners and readers, without them my stories are nothing but jumbled letters put together with no meaning. So, if you don’t read or listen, this book is not for you…give it away.
Table of Contents
Boston Departure
Recruits Cruising South
Boot Camp Surprise
Bald Head in Parris Island
My Introduction
Please read first…
I, Pineapple Sam, have always enjoyed telling stories about my life experiences to my friends or anyone else that would listen. More often than not, the stories involve something that happened to me personally. This allows me to express the true sentiment and feeling behind the story and therefore allows you to experience each moment in a way that cannot be found in a fictional story. I have found that stories are more compelling if they come “straight out of the horse’s mouth” as they say. (I don’t really know where that saying came from, but you get my drift)
The problem is I can’t live forever. I enjoy telling my interesting life stories, but without recording or writing it down the stories will stop when I am no longer around this beautiful, wonderful Earth to share them. I feel that the interesting, fun, educational and entertaining life I have lived for over a half a century must be shared.
My reason for writing this book is because the aging process is starting to kick in. My body and mind are showing the natural aging signs with all the trimmings that come with it, i.e. memory loss or forgetfulness. This is why I have the feeling of meeting new people all the time.
As you probably know, I am not a professional writer. In fact, I was a high school dropout, but don’t put down the book because of that. Besides, you didn’t pay that much for it anyway.
So why did you make the decision to read this book? Well, let me tell you my guess; because you wanted to know who I am, Pineapple Sam. I’m hoping that this brief introduction has kept your attention long enough to turn the page to the beginning of my story.
Now let’s get started and turn the page.
Disclaimer
This book is based, in part, upon actual events, persons, and companies. However, numerous characters, incidents and companies portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious. Any similarity of those fictitious characters, incidents, or companies to the name attributes or actual background of any actual person, living or dead, or to any actual event, or to any existing company, is entirely coincidental and unintentional.
Chapter 1
Boston Departure
The conflict in South Vietnam started taking a heavy toll on our country, the United States of America. South Vietnam wasn't a declared war like World War II when the nation rallied in support to defeat our enemies. Everyday television and newspapers delivered saddening news on the nations' controversial involvement in Southeast Asia. Thousands of young men were returned home in body bags to mourning families and our great nation. Our inner cities were breaking out in anti-war and racial riots. The Hippie flower child slogan 'Make Love not War' movement was gaining traction against the fighting. The proliferation of drug use and societies moral decay fueled the disobedience to our government.
The war became a major concern for me because some of my friends and many people my age were sucked into the fighting. Whether you were for warfare or against it didn’t matter. It was no surprise then that I found myself awaiting departure at the train station in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. I was still debating if I was doing the right thing. The year was 1968, Tuesday August 13.
"Hi, are you going to boot camp," I asked the tall guy ahead of me in the stations cafeteria line.
"Yeah, are you?" he grinned and noticed my long straight black hair cascading down to my shoulders. I wore my hair as American Indian with a one-inch leather headband.
"People call me Pineapple," I smiled and extended my handshake.
He shook me hand, "My name is Jack and how old are you?"
"I 'm eighteen, how about you?"
"I'm twenty. Are you from around here?" Jack stepped two steps forward in the line.
"Actually, I am originally from Hawaii? Your probably wondering what the heck I'm doing in Boston, right?"
"I wouldn't have guessed you were from Hawaii," Jack replied.
"How about you, are you from around here Jack?"
"Plymouth Rock, I'm from Plymouth Rock."
"Hey Pineapple… Jack, you guys hurry, boarding starts in 15 minutes," reminded Sergeant Montgomery as he passed the word to four other recruits in line behind us.
Other young recruits and I quickly ate our early lunch sandwich courtesy of the Marine Corps Recruiters. Our Marine recruiters in modified dress blue uniforms were more than happy to have us ship off. They smiled and shook our hands often telling us how exciting it will be once we arrived on Parris Island.
I hid a sheathed, 6” hunting knife on an overhead wood beam. I had carried that knife for months hitch hiking across the United States four times. However, during our departure screening, recruits were informed that no weapons of any sort or drugs would be tolerated. I no longer needed to carry it with me and the Marine Corp will probably give me a better one.